Second Lieutenant KENNETH SHORLAND ABERNETHY, New Zealand Rifle Brigade 1st Bn. 3rd. Killed near Warneton 1917, buried Ploegsteert.

Kenneth Shorland Abernethy was born 26th June 1895 in Willowbury, Ashburton, Canterbury, New Zealand. His father was Reverend Christopher Abernethy (1846-1927), his mother was Georgina Elizabeth Shorland (1859-1906). His father was born in Aith, Shetland Schotland as a son of a dairyman, and when he was 16 he immigrated to New Zealand to seek his fortune in the newly discoverd goldfields in Tuapeka.

In 1878 he became a Weslyan preacher and in 1883 he married with Georgina and they had 4 children: Jessie Olive (1885-1920); Thomas Mitchell (1890-1918); Rex Clifford (1891-1965) and Kenneth Shorland (1895-1917). Kenneth went to the primairy school in Springston and when his father moved to Rangiora (Waimakariri) he went to Christchurch Boy’s High. He was also a good swimmer by the Rangiora Swimming Club.

After school he went working as a journalist for ‘The Sun’, a Christchurch newspaper, but he was also, like his brothers, in the Territorial Army. In october 1915 he enlisted at Trenham. He was posted to the 10th NCO as a private, he was first promoted Corporal, Sergeant and finally 2/Lt (March 1916) and posted to the 13th Reinforcements.

On June 26th 1916 they embarked on Troopship ‘Manganui’ in NZ and disembarked on the 22nd August 1916 in Devonport, England were they marched to Sling Camp. During the trip he edited the ships newspaper ‘Kitbag’.

In October 1916 he was posted to the 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade. (NZRB) In November he went to Rouen and went to the Divisional School for grenade training and afterwards he was posted to his Battalion but was also attached to the NZ Engineers.

On August 5th 1917 they were in the Ploegsteert Area and 11 days later he was wounded during work in the Warneton Sector. He was brought to a A.D.S. near Underhill Farm where he died the same day. Kenneth was just 22 years.

He was buried in the Rosenberg Chateau Military Cemetery, in the Chateau grounds, but after the war, the Chateau owner wanted this cemetery out of his property. After a long process of discussions the body’s were removed to Berks Cemetery Extension in Ploegsteert were Kenneth now rest in grave 3-A-23.

In 2015 his selfmade dogtag was found in Neuve-Eglise sector were the NZ troops had there camps.

His Brother Thomas Mitchell served with the 4th NZRB also as a 2/Lt, was killed 12 September 1918 in Trescault Spur, France. He has no known grave and is commemorated at the Grevillers NZ Memorial.

His other brother Rex Clifford, Captain with the 3rd NZRB, was transferred to the Indian Army Reserve, he survived the war. He was awarded the Military Cross for Gallantry at the Douve Sector in April 1917.